I’m not good with cables of any kind. No matter how careful I try to be with them, they always blip out on me sooner rather than later. One thing that I like about my Beats headphones is that I can swap out the audio cable when it dies instead of having to buy a whole new pair. Their original cables died years ago, but I couldn’t afford a new one…until recently.
I was browsing Dollar Tree’s website and found a replacement audio cable from e-Circuit for $1.25. E-Circuit is also responsible for my previous “earphones” and my current shoelace earbuds, so I knew that the cable’s quality would be fine despite its low price. I happily jumped on the deal, and boom! My Beats were back in business!
There’s not much to say about a cable, but I wanted jot down a few thoughts anyway.
Appearance
The e-Circuit audio cable is very basic, no bells or whistles to speak of. It’s 48 inches long, with bronze-ish 3.5mm tips on either end. It’s flat, thin, and somewhat flimsy, especially the rubber base around the metal tips.
The cable is available in pretty much every major color—and some even have glitter in them. I bought a red one to match my black-and-red Beats. The red, however, is noticeably less vibrant than the red on my Beats. It’s actually closer to the slightly faded, slightly orange shade of red as my e-Circuit earphones. But the difference doesn’t bother me.
Function
I’m pleased with how the audio cable works. I plugged one end into my headphones and the other into my phone. That’s it. Be careful, though—there’s an extra ring around the tip that looks like it should go inside the headphone jack but it doesn’t. I kept trying to push the cable in farther than it was supposed to go before I realized what was up.
As the package mentions, the cable isn’t just for headphones. I used it in the car to connect my phone to the stereo too. The second I plugged it in, the stereo recognized my device and kicked into AUX mode. The music sounded fine. There was no tinniness or distortion.
The cable’s length came in handy in the car as well. I could easily sit the phone in the console or hold it in my hands (as the passenger). Since the cable is so lightweight, it just flops down the side of the stereo without getting tangled up with the gearshift.
Conclusion
The e-Circuit audio cable is a great buy. I’m thankful that I found a cheap solution to my problem. But the cable is so fragile. I try not to roll it up or stress the ends too much. It likely won’t last for more than a few months before an end shorts out. I know because I’m currently on my second one. Pick up two or three if you can.